


P3RF3C7

by asingleredheart



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Homestuck Secret Santa Exchange 2014, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 20:23:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12043590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asingleredheart/pseuds/asingleredheart
Summary: You were ten years old when you met her. And she was perfect.





	P3RF3C7

You were ten years old when you met her. And she was perfect.

Dad was busy, as always, so you had decided to be a good big brother and take Sollux to the park. It wasn’t too far away, and Dad got loud when Sollux interrupted his work.

A short walk later, and Sollux was happily throwing sand around the sandbox while you sat on a nearby bench and watched, just like you always saw the moms doing. Sometimes you wanted to join him, but then who would sit on a bench and keep an eye on him? After all, everyone knows that proper park time requires someone to sit on a bench and keep an eye on you.

You think you might have dozed off for a minute, because the next thing you knew you were staring at an empty sandbox. Adrenaline shot you up from the bench and sent you into a tizzy, running through the playground screaming Sollux’s name. He couldn’t have gotten far, he was only four.

In your frenzy, you failed to notice the forgotten skateboard lying on the ground in your path. One second you were running, the next you were flailing your body and pinwheeling your arms as you zipped along in a desperate attempt to stay upright, all thoughts of your missing baby brother temporarily replaced by sheer panic.

A misplaced rock at the end of the path halted your wild ride, landing you in a crumpled heap on a fortunately placed pile of leaves. Good leaves, best crash pad. You may or may not have lain there in a daze for several minutes, but the sound of whooping cheers snapped you out of it.

Standing up, you saw two girls come to halt in front of you. Two girls and Sollux! A relieved grin spread across your face as the older of the two girls helped you out of the leaf pile, slapping your back as she dusted the stray leaves out of your clothes.

A few minutes later found you and the older girl (“N4m3’s L4tul4”) back on your bench while Sollux and her little sister tussled in the sand. Apparently, your run down the hill on her board had classed you as “r4d” enough to hang with her.

As you two talked you discovered you actually had a lot in common. Latula too was, in many ways, the only parent her little sister had, taking the place of a workaholic mom. They too lived not far from the park, and she regularly brought Terezi here so the kid could play and she could skate.

As the sun set, you agreed to meet again the next day, a suggestion Sollux and Terezi greeted with cheers and promises to each other of further sandy adventures. You smiled the whole way home, already counting down to the next afternoon.

The four of you quickly settled into a routine. Every day after school, you would take Sollux and walk to the park. Once there, Sollux and Terezi would run wild on the playground, holding mock trials of toys and bugs and occasionally other kids while Latula would teach you to skate.

You were always surprised by her patience with your flailing attempts. Latula never seemed to get bored, walking endlessly along next to you as you clung to her in an effort to keep from falling. And surprisingly, at least to you, you got better.

By the time your eleventh birthday rolled around, you knew just what to ask for. Dad always bought expensive gifts in a futile attempt to make up for never actually being free to celebrate with you. All it took was a magazine page left on his desk, and you were running to the park with a brand new top of the line board tucked under your arm.

Latula made a fuss over your board, admiring the black and yellow design that matched your favorite shirt. She also, with a bit of fidgeting and blushing, mentioned that she had a gift for you too, back at her house.

It was a joyful little parade that set out for the Pyrope household. Sollux and Terezi ran ahead as you and Latula walked along at a normal pace, smiling at each other and scheming ways to get ahold of some cake without having to dig up one of your parents for a ride to the local bakery.

The four of you crashed into the house in a tumble of joy and shouts, Latula breaking off from the pack as Terezi lead you and Sollux into the kitchen. You hoped up on the counter, swinging your feet as Terezi went digging through the pantry.

The youngest Pyrope emerged from her expedition triumphantly clutching a box of Twinkies just as Latula entered the kitchen, a large round parcel in one hand and a box of candles in the other.

With great ceremony, Terezi placed two Twinkies on a plate and Latula stuck a red candle in one and a blue candle in the other. The two sisters and Sollux then crashed into the most off-key, screeching, lisped-to-death rendition of happy birthday ever to exist in the history of anything.

You blew out the candles with a miraculously minimal spraying of saliva, and then passed one off to the kids to split while you and Latula shared the other. And then, it was time for presents.

Latula seemed a little fidgety as you undid the sloppily-tied ribbon and tore through the striped paper to reveal…

“4 H3LM37! 7UL1P 7H15 15 50 R4D1C4L!”

The helmet really is a thing of beauty, your favorite shade of yellow complimented by a red and blue visor. It’s even big enough to protect your whole head, not just the top.

The rest of the day passes by in a blur of extra Twinkies and Latula’s smiles. When it gets dark, the Pyropes decide to walk you and Sollux home. With Sollux and Terezi distracting each other and the day’s joy buoying your courage, you decided to try for one last birthday wish come true.

“H3Y 7UL1P?” You asked hesitantly. She turned and graced you with another smile, eyes locked on your as you leaned closer.

Yes, this was going to be perfect, you could feel it. Her lips were so close to yours you were practically breathing the same air. Just a little bit more and…

“Thorry!” Sollux cried as he crashed into your back, launching you forward into Latula for less of a kiss and more of a headbutt. The two of you lay on the ground in a daze for a bit, until you realized the position you were in and scrambled up, stuttering out apologies and pulling Latula with you.

When you look over at her, the bruise on her forehead is exactly what you expected. The smile in her eyes and the laughter, however, is not. It is, however, infectious.

Soon both of you are laughing, sitting there on the side of the road. And when the laughter stops and Latula leans over and kisses you, quick and soft, you know that this is your version of perfect.

She’s perfect.


End file.
